Originally, this tree was destined to just rot away. It really didn't serve a good purpose, its defect made it a terrible option for lumber because it would just crack and split. I had no idea Stan & Paul even cut this beauty down, but I understand their reasoning for doing so; this tree should not reproduce as it could pass on its unhealthy genetics. Makes sense. Stan explained this tree perfectly, "It is a result of genetic variation. The grain grew in a spiral or helix pattern rather than straight. It also has brashness or cracking instead of being totally solid. The ridges are its attempt to heal itself from the cracking. When we initially saw this tree I recommended just cutting it and leaving it to rot, since it wouldn't be good for traditional lumber. But then ‪Paul remembered it when we were looking for a large post for the stairs. After peeling some of the bark, we discovered more of the beauty. I am tempted to draw a parallel with human variations such as skin color or sexual orientation. Often our initial reaction is to shun whereas it is wiser to celebrate the beauty."

He explained this perfectly. Celebrating this beauty is exactly what we intend to do in our home forever. This tree will be the center of our rounded staircase. Removing the bark was a large chore in itself. The bark grew in the same spiral the tree had, which meant we had to turn the tree as we removed the bark in strips. It took hammers, pry bars and some brutal, relentless persuasion, but we got the job done!

While we were removing the bark, we noticed imperfections in the tree from bugs. After removing most of the bark, we found some of the bugs closer to the top. It ultimately adds more character to the tree, but I'm still curious to know what in the heck these bugs are?!?! Does anyone have any idea? If you do, PLEASE leave it in the comments, I really want to know! Thank you in advance!

The tree is EXTREMELY heavy, so we had a crane come in to put it in place. We contemplated having like ten guys come over to put it in place... but we quickly realized that unless we had Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and a bunch of their strong friends, putting that tree in place by hand was not going to be an option. The breezy day made me very nervous about the possibility the tree was going to take out the rafters the guys had just finished constructing. Paul was giving directions from where the tree was supposed to be placed while Stan relayed them out the window to the crane operator. The tree swayed back and forth about two to three feet, narrowing the gap between the rafters exponentially. After some very careful navigation, the tree slid right between the rafters and was lowered into place. It was perfect! You can view the time lapse of the crane putting the tree in place below, but if you want to check out the full length time lapse, click here.

This image below shows both the newly placed tree(closest) that will be in the center of our stairs, as well as the top of that same tree(background) that will go through our island in the kitchen. Please disregard the air compressor, I'm not allowed to move things around in the their work zone(for good reason too, I always remove things I don't want in the pictures as a good photographer should :D.)

To check out all of the images of the tree & crane process, click here. Now that the tree is in place, they can put in the rest of the plank flooring to get ready for the upstairs framing. Sadly, the roofing can't be done until December, but we will be ready for the roofers when they come. Continued support and shares are always appreciated, it really has been amazing. To me, this project is worth documenting. Be sure to like my Facebook page for continued progress on the home, as well as to support my small business which I'm growing here in St J.